Pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training on February 14th and while the promise of a new season is bright and shiny, the New York Yankees have already reported their first injuries. Right-handed reliever Scott Effross had back surgery in December and continues to recover and Jose Trevino reported to camp with a calf strain and will be sidelined for spring training, though the Yankees believe he will be ready by early April. The catching corps is five deep on the 40-man roster, so Trevino’s injury provides an opportunity for the proverbial next-man-up to step forward and clarify the pecking order in the catching ranks.
Trevino suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist in spring training in 2023 and played through the pain until he had season-ending surgery in July. Trevino, an American League All-Star and Platinum Glove winner in 2022, batted .210/.257/.312 with four home runs, 15 RBI, and a 58 OPS+ in just 55 games in 2023 before being shut down. Trevino’s injuries have left the door open for Austin Wells and Ben Rortvedt to compete for the starting job.
In 2023, Kyle Higashioka and Ben Rortvedt split the catching duties after Trevino went on the Injured List – that is until Austin Wells was called up on September 1st. Now that Higashioka has been traded to the San Diego Padres in the deal that brought Juan Soto to the Yankees, Rortvedt, and Wells will handle the catching duties in Trevino’s absence. Rortvedt was called up for good last season in July when Trevino went on the Injured List. In 32 games, Rortvedt batted .118/.241/.221 with one home run. Defensively, Rortvedt became Cole’s personal catcher once Trevino went down, though this relationship was not without some strain. Cole was seen in the dugout chewing Rortvedt out between innings. There was plenty of speculation in the offseason that the Yankees would trade Rortvedt, who is out of minor league options, as they are carrying 5 catchers at the present time on the 40-man roster, but the Trevino injury gives him another opportunity.
Austin Wells was promoted to the major league club on September 1st last season. Despite initially struggling at the plate, he went on a tear to end the season hitting .229/.257/.486 with four home runs and a .743 OPS in 19 games. Known for his offensive prowess, Manager Aaron Boone commented at season’s end that he had surpassed their expectations defensively. Greg Joyce of the New York Post reported that one of the biggest knocks on Wells was his arm strength, but Yankees catching coach Tanner Swanson believes that he has made enough progress to be considered average or just above and that he’s only going to get better. In fact, according to Matthew Postins of SI.com, Wells was among rookies identified by MLB executives as a dark horse candidate for Rookie of the Year honors in 2024.
Carlos Narvaez and Agustin Ramirez round out the catching prospects on the 40-man roster for the Yankees. Narvaez, 24, played the majority of 2023 for AAA Scranton Wilkes-Barre where he hit .240/.373/.387 with 10 home runs over 84 games. His defensive skills have been described as big-league-ready and he also spent 16 games at first base. Ramirez is 22 and spent 2023 in Tampa, Hudson Valley, and Somerset, where he hit .271/.364/.455 with 18 home runs and 12 stolen bases with a .819 OPS – career highs across the board. In all likelihood, Ramirez will start the season in AA.
Look for Wells and Rortvedt to platoon through spring training until Trevino returns. Once Trevino is healthy, it will be interesting to watch the dynamics play out as each matches up with pitchers in the starting rotation. The real battle will be with the bat – can Trevino rebound with his 2022 numbers and can Wells build on his late 2023 power surge?
